Background

Some would consider Sabrina featherweight. But even featherweights engage in combat sports and produce a champion. She holds that title with “Feather”.

“Feather” is a song by Sabrina Carpenter, released on March 2023. The track is part of “emails i can’t send fwd:”, the deluxe version of her fifth studio album “emails i can’t send”. It was written by Carpenter, Amy Allen, and John Ryan, and produced by John Ryan. At the time of “Feather’s” release, John Ryan was best known for his work with One Direction, which makes sense in my universe given the song’s radio-friendly and youthful sound.

Floatin’ Through the Memories

It blows my mind that Sabrina was already five studio albums in when “Feather” was released. In fact, I only heard the song as part of Spotify’s Today’s Top Hits or when browsing TikTok for video inspirations. I never bothered immersing myself in her discography and thought she’d make a small dent in music chart history, then disappear. A little over a year later, she had the song of the summer with “Espresso” and she took the world by storm with Short ‘n Sweet.

“Feather” is one of the greats and is arguably superior to a lot of the records on either Short ‘n Sweet or Man’s Best Friend. But not everyone has discovered that because her older material wasn’t received commercially well. But her breakout in 2024 has introduced me to her past work. And “Feather” is just the beginning of my exploration. I hope the rest of the world catches up to the fact that she was serving long before we were drinking her espresso.

Feel so Much Lighter 

Many people get the answer wrong to the trick question of what is lighter – a kilo of nails or a kilo of feathers. A feather has been ingrained in our minds as the representation of weightlessness and airiness. And she uses that imagery to convey the feeling of letting a toxic relationship go.

Nothing feels as liberating. And Sabrina oozes apathy and relief from the tone of her voice to the lyrics she sings. She says goodbye to all the baggage that held her back, the energy most of us do not want to deal with, especially as we grow older – the mixed signals, the erratic behaviour and the indecision, among many other red flags.

Do-Do-Do, Do-Do-Do, Do-Do-Do, Do-Do-Do

I was trying to put my finger on where I’d heard the repeated syllables before. And after searching the Internet, I found my answer in a Rolling Stone India article. This is the same phrase that Paula Cole uses in “Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?”. “Feather” doesn’t sample the 90s track. But the similarity brings a sense of nostalgia to my 90s body. It also gets me humming and reminds me that words don’t have to be deep or big to make an addicting hook or a lasting impact.

Besides the catchy tune, the two singles couldn’t be more different. One is still searching, while another has reached her conclusion. There is a sense of tragedy in Cole’s song, while Sabrina is filled with victory. I do think both are highly underrated and need to be thrown back into the spotlight every now and then.

Music Video Pre-Taste

Sabrina has a quirky style when conceptualising her music videos. They’re over the top and funny, while also being clever and interesting. And I got that sense from “Taste” with her and Jenna Ortega engaging in endless violence. “Feather” could easily be the prequel to that. She’s got some anger she expresses in her art. It’s probably tongue-in-cheek, but I find the contrast between her short and sweet stature, and the vision… amusing.

I won’t spoil the video. But the sound and the visuals are 180 degrees apart. And just how dark it got… the priest who gave her authorisation to shoot in the featured church was later suspended. I thought that was an overreaction. But what do I know? Watch it for yourself!

Conclusion

I’m disappointed in myself for underestimating Sabrina Carpenter at the start of her career. Heck, I should be disappointed in myself for underestimating anyone really.

“Feather” was the start of her breaking into the mainstream. The cracks were showing. I was just late in seeing them.